Scientists set to create artificial human brain
In a laboratory Frankenstein would be proud of, Scientists, who have already duplicated certain elements of the brain of a rat, are working on a project to build an artificial human brain.
In what is called the Blue Brain Project, scientists hope to discover new ways of diagnosing and treating mental illness. They are still at least 10 years away from completing the project.
Professor Henry Markram, a spokesman for the project, said, “It is not impossible to build a human brain and we can do it in 10 years. There are two billion people on the planet affected by mental disorder, The project may give insights into new treatments.”
Right now their research is focused on a specific area of mammal brains called the neocortex. This is the part of the brain where most of the higher communicative functions take place like speech, language, and sensory perception.
Developing an artificial human brain is no easy task. In order to map complex brain functions the scientists could potentially need more than 10,000 computers. Right now, they’re using what’s known as a “supercomputer” to facilitate their task. The supercomputer can sort through millions of formulas and data strings simultaneously thereby streamlining the job.
Professor Martin presented the group’s findings to his peers in Oxford at the recent TED conference.
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